By Emmanuel Onyedika
Nigeria has deployed its first standardised justice sector platform for tracking cases of violence against women, aimed at closing long-standing gaps in Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV) data and accountability.
The platform, developed by the Federal Ministry of Justice with support from the European Union-funded End Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (ESGBV) Programme, was unveiled during a five-day national validation and capacity-building workshop. It is being implemented by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA).
According to Mrs. Melissa Omene, GBV Policy and Strategy Development Specialist with International IDEA, the platform will provide justice institutions nationwide with a single system for tracking reported cases. “Reporting violence is only the beginning of a survivor’s journey. What happens after reporting matters just as much as the reporting itself. Survivors need investigations, they need prosecutions, they need protection mechanisms, and justice outcomes that are visible, measurable and accountable,” she said.
Omene noted that while Nigeria has made progress in establishing laws and institutions to address violence against women and girls, challenges remain in implementation, accountability and monitoring. She explained that fragmented data systems across institutions have hindered comprehensive reporting, with many cases stalled or unresolved.
The National GBV Dashboard recorded 4,449 cases in the first half of 2023, and over 19,000 cases since its launch in 2020, but only a fraction resulted in convictions.
The new platform is expected to generate standardised data, strengthen monitoring of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, and enhance accountability processes across federal and state justice ministries.
This initiative marks a significant step toward ensuring survivors of gender-based violence receive justice outcomes that are consistent, transparent, and measurable.